Much like the Dark Side, you don’t know the power of the smart home until you’ve added in scenes and automations (that was a bad analogy, but I couldn’t pass it up).

Scenes, in HomeKit parlance, are groups of actions that affect the accessories in your smart home. Instead of having to go into the Home app for iOS and adjust settings for each individual light/fan/shade/thermostat, you can set up common actions in groups. You could, for example, have a scene called “Good Night” that will turn off all the lights in your home, set the thermostat to a cooler temperature, and draw the shades.

Automations, on the other hand, are methods by which your smart home can control itself. You can use your device’s location, a certain time of day, and other accessories to trigger Scenes and make adjustments to your smart home. You could, for example, set up an automation that turns on the light in the entryway every time you unlock the smart lock you’ve installed on the front door. You could also have certain lights in your home (like yard lights) turn on or off based on the sunrise and sunset.

Sure, it’s neat to be able to control your lights with the sound of your voice — “Hey Siri, turn off the light in my bedroom.” — but it’s neater to not have to think about controlling your smart home, instead letting it do much of the work for you. A truly smart home is made smarter through scenes and automations.

How to set up scenes in the Home app for iOS

If you’d like to set up a scene in the Home app for iOS, here’s how!

Launch the Home app for iOS.

Tap the add button in the top right corner of the screen (looks like a plus sign).

Tap Add Scene.

Choose a suggested scene or create a new one by tapping Custom.

Give your scene a name.

You can change the icon for your scene by tapping the Home icon to the left of the scene name.*

Tap Add Accessories.

Choose the accessories you want to add to your scene by tapping on them (I want to dim the lights in my living room before a movie begins so I’m choosing the lights in my living room.).

Tap Done when you’ve selected your accessories.

Long press or 3D Touch the accessories in your scene to change their settings.

Questions and thoughts?

Do you use scenes and automations in your HomeKit setup? What’s your favorite? If you haven’t set up any scenes or automations, did we inspire you to get crackin’? Share your thoughts and troubleshooting questions in the comments below!